General Care Discussion :: "slime" in the filter

[ohmygosh_22]

ok so i've asked this question b4 but i didnt get a lot of help from it..


whenever we clean the filter my boyfriend notices this slimy material that is flowing within the filter. i dont know what it is (obviously). and i'd also like to say that our basking logs have green algae on it. could that be a part of the slime stuff??


thanks a bunch && happy veterans day tomorrow

[robind]

Yes. That's algae. A lot of algae means you have a lot of nitrate in your water. This means you need to change your water more often. What kind of water change schedule are you on now?

There are also some commercial products you can use to slow algae growth, however I don't recommend those. A better solution is to put other plants in the tank that will remove the nitrates from the water before the algae gets a chance to grow.

[SpotsMama]

Is the slimy stuff green or grey or black or clear? what kind of filter do you have?

[ohmygosh_22]

Yes. That's algae. A lot of algae means you have a lot of nitrate in your water. This means you need to change your water more often. What kind of water change schedule are you on now?

There are also some commercial products you can use to slow algae growth, however I don't recommend those. A better solution is to put other plants in the tank that will remove the nitrates from the water before the algae gets a chance to grow.

well we change it whenever the water gets merky or dirty..so like once every 1-2 weeks? what kind of plants should i get???

[octpusgirl8]

If your tank is too small the water can get fouled in a matter of days. How big are your turts and how big is the tank? If everything's set up right the water shouldn't ever be getting murky.

[TheComputerGremlin]

Yeah, how big is your tank, how big are your turtles, and what type of filter do you have or what is it rated for? 1-2 weeks between cleanings to me says something is imbalanced, like your tank is too small or your filter is too small. I need to clean my filter once every two months or so and the water stays crystal clear throughout those two months. Even after the two months, the tank is super clear, I just *know* I need to clean the filter.

As for algae growth, is your tank next to a window or somehow getting natural sunlight? The plants that you put in your tank to remove nitrates would likely get eaten by your turtle, but if you are needing to clean the tank every two weeks, I doubt your nitrate levels are getting out of control, to the point that plants would help out.

[robind]

I'm preemptively posting a link to the water quality article on the main site.
This article and the next one on filtration will hopefully answer all of your filter-related questions:
http://www.redearslider.com/water_quality_issues.html

[ohmygosh_22]

Yeah, how big is your tank, how big are your turtles, and what type of filter do you have or what is it rated for? 1-2 weeks between cleanings to me says something is imbalanced, like your tank is too small or your filter is too small. I need to clean my filter once every two months or so and the water stays crystal clear throughout those two months. Even after the two months, the tank is super clear, I just *know* I need to clean the filter.

As for algae growth, is your tank next to a window or somehow getting natural sunlight? The plants that you put in your tank to remove nitrates would likely get eaten by your turtle, but if you are needing to clean the tank every two weeks, I doubt your nitrate levels are getting out of control, to the point that plants would help out.

Fred is about 3 inches and Al is about 4 1/2. and our tank is 10 gallons..yes yes i know i need a bigger tank. i'm working on it! lol. and we have the aquaclear filter with biomax.works for 20 gallon tanks..

as far as the algae, yes our tank is next to a window...&& if we need real plants to keep our tank clean then i'm gona smack my boyfriend, cuz i keep telln him that we need real plants. which plants shoulud i get ??

[Bascomb]

Oh-gosh -- Your tank is not nearly large enough. This point in their life they need at least a 75 gallon tank and a filter that will exchange the water at least 5 times per hour. Slime and algea is the least of your turtle tank problem. If you are feeding them properly they are putting out a lot of poop and that will cause a lot of unpleasent things to happen. There is not way you can get a biological filter set up in such a small tank. It will take a lot of cleaning and water replacement to keep them healthy. Good Luck -- b.

[robind]

I second bascomb, your tank needs to be much larger. At this point live plants won't do anything, except for probably die. If you don't have money to get a bigger tank, buy a stock tank from a local feed store or even just a large rubbermade container from walmart. Ten gallons is way too small!

[TheComputerGremlin]

When my turtle was kept in too small of a tank, even at 1.5", I had to change the water daily or a slime would build up on the surface. I would guess that the slime is because the tank is way too small.

Go to Walmart, right now, and buy a huge rubbermaid container, like 40-50 gallons. That will at least work for a temporary home until you get a bigger tank.

[ohmygosh_22]

i appreciate everyones help =]

[TurtleLover_S&B]

Ok,so I know this is ohmygosh's thread,but it seems that I'm having the same problem,but on my basking dock.It's green,and seems like kinda just stuck on it.Is this algae also?And if it is how do I get rid of it?

[zoologist]

thats green algae. get a toothbrush and start scrubbin'

[ohmygosh_22]

what happens if the alage doesnt get taken off the basking rock?